Last week was spectacularly busy... wow! I really had to reflect on how blessed I am, that I have a solid support system in place -- people and practices that help me in times of stress and pressure. How do you handle stressful times like these? What support systems can you access? I'd love to hear about how you cope :-)

Before we get to this week's forecast, I have one quick announcement:

If you missed our FORECASTING FORUM last week, feel free to watch the mp4-video presentation of this wonderful event. Please note that we talked about the Mars/Uranus Square and the Uranus Station in Aries (getting ready to go retrograde in August) --in relationship to our own Birth charts. We also talked about how to prepare for the Eclipse season that is almost upon us (July 23rd - Sept. 6th)...

This week's headline items: Uranus starts to slow down ("station") on Wednesday; Mars changes signs from Cancer to Leo on Thursday morning; the Sun will follow Mars's footsteps into Leo on Saturday (late in the morning); the New Moon in Leo becomes exact on Sunday early morning, starting Eclipse season.

There will also be three Moon VoC phases this week: Wednesday very early morning (for almost 1.5 hours), Thursday night/Friday very early morning (for 23 minutes), and Sunday very early morning (for 2.5 hours).

Monday (July 17th) at 1:04am EDT, the Moon movesinto steady, peacefulTaurus, where it will be until Wednesday very early morning. We love all physical comforts, prefer consistency, and would rather stick with what we know works well. In other words: change is not our favorite thing and "rushing things" goes against our grain.

What is our favorite thing for the next two days? It's probably, slowing down and getting in touch with whatever delights our senses ;-)

Monday late morning, a challenging Venus/Neptune aspect becomes exact at 10:33am EDT. We started to feel this aspect from last Friday evening on; it will remain strong until this Thursday. We can be confused, unrealistic, or overly idealistic around love and money -- so it's best to wait until the transit is over, before making big moves in these areas -- if you make long-term financial investments, buy or sell big-ticket items, or start brand-new relationships, it's likely you will not see things as they truly are.

We are actually being asked to have faith; to let our intuition guide us in money and love -- if we are able to do this, we will grow through it. As best as you can, be compassionate with yourself and others during these 5 days -- it might also help to know that relationships and endeavors of a spiritual or artistic nature can move forward at this time.

Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or personal planets) in the following placements: 11-17 degrees ofGemini, Pisces, SagittariusorVirgo? If so, you are more affected by this aspect.This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign inTaurus, LibraorPisces(Venus is the ruler of Taurus and Libra; Neptune rules Pisces).

Monday evening, a challenging Mars/Uranus aspect becomes exact at 9:37pm EDT. We started to feel this aspect from last Thursday on; it will remain strong until this Saturday. This aspect asks us to get in touch with our desires and break away from anything that is holding us back. Passions and anger that we may not even know we had may emerge at this time.

Uranus urges us to let go and express ourselves more fully. We may feel restless and impatient; we can be very demanding and difficult to please. We tend to feel like progress is too slow and we are tired of waiting. This could be an explosive time, as our inner rebel issues emotional challenges, while outer "reality" demands we change course.

On the other hand, if you are the kind of person that doesn't go in for asserting themselves, this is an excellent time to try it out ;-) Do your best not to burn all your bridges, especially with any males in your family or at home. We may also experience an awakening of sorts in regards to our sexuality.

Accidents are unusually likely (though not inevitable), especially if our levels of activity and energy are erratic; to prevent this, stay as grounded as possible and keep breathing! Flexibility and open-mindedness is always helpful... but is especially important now.

Ask yourself: How might I channel this restless energy into projects that are asking for progress? How might I channel, or just burn off, all this impulsive energy? What kind of exercise might be an energetic match? Where am I stagnating? Where am I able to take innovative action?

Do you have your Ascendant or personal planets in 25-29 degrees of Cancer, Aries, Libra, Capricorn, or 0-2 degrees of Leo, Taurus, Aquarius or Scorpio? If so, you will feel the effects of this aspect more strongly than otherwise.This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in Aries or Aquarius (Mars is the ruler of Aries; Uranus is the ruler of Aquarius)

Tuesday morning, a harmonious Mars/Chiron aspect becomes exact at 9:22am EDT. We started to feel this aspect from last Wednesday evening on; it will remain strong until Thursday. This gives us a chance to learn to accept our desire and anger as valid -- so that when we express them, we do so naturally and confidently, without harming ourselves or others -- simply allowing ourselves to feel anger and talk about it, just as we would about joy.

What if you brought understanding and compassion to anger or assertiveness? What if your desires were valid?

We may also develop a strong sense of mission that can carry us through obstacles. We'd like to team up with others to fight injustice, purge something "unclean" from the world, or simply bring healing where we believe it's needed.

Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or personal planets) in 25-29 degrees of Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio, or 0-1 degrees of Leo, Aries, or Sagittarius? Or perhaps your Ascendant or Sun-sign is inAries? If so, you are especially blessed by this aspect.

Tuesday late afternoon, a harmonious Venus/Jupiter aspect becomes exact at 4:09pm EDT. We started to feel this aspect from last Saturday evening on; it will remain strong until this Friday. Harmony and goodwill reign under this influence. We experience expansive feelings in love and a feeling that anything is possible if we set our sights high enough.

We are more likely to be friendly, open, and optimistic -- it's a great time for winning people's trust, making it much easier to make social contacts. We believe in our relationships and we have faith that all is going to work out for the best.

We might feel an urge to connect to people from other countries or foreign cultures, just to have an adventure, or widen our horizons. Financially, there might be a tendency to spend more than usual, as we feel confident that an abundance of resources is available to us. The thing to watch out for is the feeling that we don't have to actually do anything to "cash in".

That said, there are plenty of opportunities to be had, financial and otherwise, especially in connection with teaching, learning, writing or anything that involves sharing information. Transportation, short trips, selling, educational businesses or endeavors and the travel industry are also highlighted ;-)

Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or personal planets) in 12-18 degrees of Gemini, Libra or Aquarius? If so, you will be most blessed by this aspect. This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in Taurus, Libra or Sagittarius (Venus is the ruler of Taurus and Libra; Jupiter is the ruler of Sagittarius).

Wednesday very early morning, at 2:11am EDT, we enter a Moon void of course (VoC). that lasts for almost 1.5 hours, until 3:31am EDT. If you are awake during this intuitive time, use it to take actions in alignment with your values, or that simply connect you to loved ones. As always with a Moon VoC, as best as you can, don't start anything brand-new, stick to routine things, or simply go with the flow.

Wednesday at 3:31am EDT, the Moon moves into chatty, versatile Gemini, where it will be until Friday very early morning. For the next two days, we like to learn, connect and interact as much as possible. "Busy" feels good: connecting online, on the phone, or sharing face-to-face, preferably multi-tasking all the way... The one thing we can do without is boredom: If our mind is not engaged in some way, we might as well curl up and play dead :-)

Wednesday mid-afternoon, a harmonious Mercury/Saturn aspect becomes exact at 3:16pm EDT. We started to feel this aspect from Monday evening on; it will remain strong until Friday. It will help to interact with integrity and commitment. We can set aside unrealistic views and make concrete, practical plans, that help us explore a larger truth.

We “get to the point” -- no wasted time or words. Seeking a larger understanding, we speak our truth, but temper it with adult caution and moderation. The reality of our beliefs gets clearer and our thought processes are more realistic. It is important for us to learn something new -- with a mature attitude.

Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or personal planets) in 19-25 degrees of Leo, Sagittarius or Aries? Or perhaps you have your Ascendant or Sun-sign in Gemini, Virgo or Capricorn? If so, you will likely be more blessed by this aspect.

Also on Wednesday: Uranus starts to slow down (stations). It will come to a halt on in 28.5 degrees of Aries (on Aug. 3rd) -- starting its 5-month retrograde phase. Uranus will move more slowly for almost four weeks between now and Aug. 15th, anything connected to its energy will come into our awareness quite strongly: We have to face what this planet is trying to communicate to us.

Uranus's themes: breaking away from traditional structures, moving towards a new future that serves others as well as ourselves -- and we can confidently expect the unexpected. Inner and outer freedoms will move to the forefront of discussions. We might have flashes of insight or new ideas about what needs to change in our lives.

What might this be for you? Where do you feel the desire to break free? If "Freedom" were inside of you, where might it be? Where have you denied yourself permission to be free? Unique? Simply yourself?

With this much erratic energy moving through our bodies, we are best off staying in movement and "shaking it out". Rather than blindly doing our own thing, it will serve us now to focus on aligning our visions and desires with our partnerships, creating win-win scenarios wherever we can.

This also gives us the opportunity to look at how free we truly feel within our relationships. Are we expressing our individuality to the fullest? Are we connecting to a larger vision for our future? Is anything holding us back? As best as you can, share your ideas, and inspire others to share your vision of a better future: See who wants to come on board -- and look for how you can connect with other collaborators to make it happen..

Uranus also rules electronics, technology and the internet, so don't be surprised if you experience some interruptions or short-term failures in these areas. Group activities are also ruled by Uranus, so these too will be more at the forefront of awareness. As best as you can, stay open and flexible, go with the flow -- and pay attention to those messages from the Universe ;-)

Is your Sun-sign or Ascendant in Aquarius? Or perhaps you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or personal planets) in 26-29 degrees of Aries, Libra, Capricorn, Cancer or 0-1 degree of Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius or Leo? If so, you are more affected by this station.

Thursday morning, the Balsamic Moon phase begins, when the Moon reaches almost 16 degrees of Gemini. This lasts until Sunday early morning, when the New Moon in Leo becomes exact (more on that later in the week...) We are being asked to slow down and get quiet, so we can listen to our inner sensing/intuition. For some of us, this might be a stretch.

As best as you can: stay grounded, take a deep breath and exhale any tensions. Rather than starting something brand-new, put all that energy into completing existing projects or processes. This is also a great time for letting go of whatever no longer serves us. What if you could hear the voice of your inner wisdom? What might it be saying?

Thursday at 8:19am EDT, Mars changes signs from protective, emotional, safety-oriented Cancer to fun-loving, risk-taking Leo, where it will journey until Sept. 5th.This is a particularly vital position for Mars.

For these next six and a half weeks we will feel a strong need to create in some way. Passions tend to run high, as do desire, will, enthusiasm -- and our appetite for risk.

Our ego is tied up with our actions -- anything we do becomes a source of great pride -- and tempts us to "prideful" positioning. If we can move forward on our personal goals, especially those in alignment with our heart, we could become inspirational leaders.

If you have an Aries Sun-sign or Rising-sign, you are going to feel more fun-loving and competitive; it likely will be a more active time in your life. If you are a Leo Sun-sign or Rising sign, you will feel quite energized and passionate for the next 6.5 weeks. Channeling this energy into physical exercise or a project with your children (or your inner child) might be advisable.

Thursday evening, a somewhat challenging Venus/Pluto aspect becomes exact at 8:17pm EDT. We started to feel this aspect from Wednesday evening on; it will remain strong until Friday. This aspect operates more on an internal level. We feel uneasy about something, almost awkward -- and we need to make a choice… so we need to develop inner awareness.

Fear of disappointment is causing some tension. Our inner need for growth requires honesty about what is causing those fears -- most likely our own lack of good boundaries and self-esteem. Watch out for getting pulled into overly burdensome roles in other people's lives, because you feel it is required of you, this can often be a path into "control issues".

As best as you can, carefully examine your motivations and self-image: How do you feel about your ability to communicate, share yourself and connect on a deep emotional level? What role does fear play in all of this?

Do you have your Ascendant, Career Point (or personal planets) in 16-18 degrees of Gemini or Capricorn? If so, you will be more affected by this aspect.This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in Taurus, Libra or Scorpio (Venus is the ruler of Taurus and Libra, while Pluto is the ruler of Scorpio)

Thursday evening, a challenging Sun/Uranus aspect becomes exact at 8:26pm EDT. We started to feel this aspect from Monday evening on; it will remain strong until Saturday. Disrupted routines and plans, especially around home and family, are quite likely; this calls for flexibility and creative solutions.

During this transit, we feel a great need to make progress, as we feel quite restless -- maybe even anxious -- but if we're unclear on what actions are in our best interest, we might act in ways that don't serve us in the long run.

As best as you can, go with the flow and stay open to experiencing something new and wonderfully unexpected; if you can, put off making major decisions for the time being... "haste makes waste" during this aspect ;-)

You can think of this as "reorganizing" time -- like rearranging your furniture -- try not to resist the reorganization. Enjoy the ride… and remember: it only feels uncomfortable because it’s new and different. Could you allow yourself to be comfortable with being uncomfortable?

Do you have your Ascendent, Career Point (or any personal planets) in 25-29 degrees of Cancer, Aries, Libra, Capricorn or0-1 degrees Leo, Taurus, Aquarius or Scorpio? If so, you may be more affected by this aspect. This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in Aquarius or Leo (the Sun rules Leo; Uranus rules Aquarius)

Thursday night/Friday very early morning at 1:41am EDT, we enter a Moon void of course (VoC). that lasts for 23 minutes, until 2:03am EDT. If you are awake during this intuitive time, use it as an opportunity to connect with others, exchange information, and move personal projects forward. As always with a Moon VoC, as best as you can, don't start anything brand-new, stick to routine things, or simply go with the flow.

Friday evening, a harmonious Sun/Chiron aspect becomes exact at 2:25am EDT. We started to feel this aspect from Monday evening on; it will remain strong until Saturday. This creates a supportive environment for healing our insecurities.

We can bring greater awareness to our feelings of shame and any self-deprecating thoughts or behaviors. Paradoxically, we have the chance to shine, largely because we project self-respect and modesty. This is also a great time to recognize that our so-called flaws and insecurities have become some of our best assets and strengths. Where might this be true for you?

Something else that supports healing our insecurity is a sense of pursuing a worthy goal -- this could be something as simple as a desire to learn and grow -- and our goal-orientation helps us overcome any problems that arise while we're on our "mission".

Do you have your Ascendant, Career point (or one or more personal planets) in 25-29 degrees of Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio or 0-1 degrees Leo, Aries, or Sagittarius? If so, you will be most blessed by this aspect.This is also true for those of us who have our Ascendant or Sun-sign in Leo (as the Sun rules Leo)

Friday at 4:09am EDT,the Moon moves into protective, nurturing Cancer, where it will journey until Sunday very early morning. With this Moon placement, we are more sensitive to what people say and therefore our feelings are more easily hurt -- so be kind to yourself and others. Self-Care is key for the next two and half days ;-)

Emotional safety is important to us as well; we like connecting to the familiar and we enjoy nurturing ourselves and others -- home and family call to us, for instance. Make sure though, that your glass is filled before letting others drink from it, otherwise you might start to feel drained and resentful.

Saturday (July 22nd): The Moon remains in protective, nurturing Cancer all day (see Friday early morning for details).

Saturday at 11:15am EDT, the Sun changes signs from sensitive, protective Cancer tofun-loving, extroverted, expressive Leo, where it will journey until Aug. 22nd. With the Sun in Leo, we are more inclined to connect to our heart and to follow our joy: it's a great time for gratitude, compliments, and playfulness.

In many ways, happy children embody the best of the Leo qualities: they are creative, playful, self-expressed and follow their hearts. Who could you be if you lived from your "inner child" more fully for the next four weeks?

If you have a Leo Sun-sign or Rising-sign, this means strong vitality for you -- after all, for some of you, this is your birthday month ;-) Happy Birthday! <3

Saturday night/Sunday very early morning, at 2:05am EDT, we enter a Moon void of course (VoC). that lasts for 2.5 hours, until 4:34am EDT (Sunday morning). If you are awake during this intuitive time, use it to make adjustments and (as best as you can) find creative solutions to seemingly insoluble situations.

Make space both for going after personal projects that you feel passionate about and for taking care of emotional or family issues. As always with a Moon VoC, as best as you can, don't start anything brand-new, stick to routine things, or simply go with the flow.

Sunday at 4:34am EDT,the Moon moves into fun and attention-loving Leo, where it will journey until Tuesday morning. We may lack objectivity and struggle with backing down or compromising. We all love to be admired -- or at the very least acknowledged -- for our greatness :-)

So hand out some compliments -- let people know how proud you are of them, tell them how much you love them. Come from the heart in this and all other things... be honest and authentic, as best you can. Fun, games and romance are a big part of this energy as well. You might also enjoy spending time with little ones.

If there are no "outer children" around, how about getting in touch with your "inner child" -- it's definitely easier for the next two days. What are you most grateful for today? What would be heaps and heaps of fun? What would be so much fun, you let out a tiny squeak, just thinking of it?

Sunday at 5:46am EDT, the Moon aligns with the Sun in almost 1 degree of Leo -- in other words, the New Moon will be exact.Interestingly, this is actually the first of two New Moons in Leo within the next four weeks -- the second one will be the Solar Eclipse in Leo on August 21st.

Eclipses are Uranian in nature, and thus times of uncertainty, so anything could happen between now and Sept. 6th. It is important to remember that Eclipses open a door to the next level of our Soul's evolution — and their placement relative to our birth charts tells us which areas of our life will be most affected.

As best as you can, stay both grounded and flexible — and don't jump the gun: If you feel compelled to do something, do your best to simply observe the urge, rather than acting on it. The exception might be something that just happens organically -- but if you are even a little ambivalent about a possible action, better hold off at least until Eclipse Season ends on Sept. 6th.

Eclipses bring major endings and beginnings. As best you can, trust that whatever is leaving is making space for something better — I say “as best as you can”, because the more willing we are to allow for change to take place, the easier it will be.

That said, projects and interactions that got underway prior to Eclipse season (i.e. before July 23rd) are another matter -- don’t stop your life just because it is Eclipse season ;-)

I will also talk about the upcoming Eclipses in more detail in my next Forecasting Forum. If you want to know how the Eclipses are going to impact you personally, feel free to join us -- we will apply what's coming up to our own birth charts. The Forum will be on Aug. 7th at 7pm EDT/4pm PT — for more info, click here

Ok, let's dive a little deeper here: The New Moon in fun-loving, extroverted, expressive Leo has us looking for heartfelt experiences. It's important for us to express ourselves, to learn about love -- and about how those things work together to gift us the power of creating from the heart, from a place of joy.

Think about the keywords for this self-expressed fire sign: “proud, generous, hospitable, caring, warm, authoritative, active, open, fun-loving”... How could you live into those words?

Leo is ruled by the Sun, symbol of consciousness and the unique light we came to shine forth in this lifetime. This is what we were born to explore, and in particular to express... Where could you shine your unique light more brightly? What brings you joy? Not just in general... but in this very moment?

Leo also represents our creativity. There are as many ways to be creative and self-expressed as there are "selves" -- indeed, we are all creators -- we create with every thought, every word and every action.

Creativity requires innocence, curiosity, courage and play. To live it out, we must tap into the unique spark inside of us in a joyful way. We also need to allow ourselves the freedom to make mistakes: Creativity thrives on love and permission; it is stifled by judgment and fear.

Take a moment to contact your "free inner child" -- that place inside that is ready to play and create. What might that inner child need, to come out and play? If you aren't sure, there's no need to guess: Try asking it gently and directly...

Mars and Mercury are currently also moving through Leo adding more weight to the Leo-energies. As Mars aligns with the New Moon in Leo, it encourages us to be more aware of our masculine energies: assertion, passion, courage, vitality, etc. What if we were able to access these energies at their highest vibrations?

This combo encourages us to go after things that align with our heart, and to engage playfully in joyful activity; we also get an opportunity to engage with our ”inner child” (and children in general).

You might say this builds on an earlier question: What brings me joy? Not just in general... but in every moment of now? What drains my vitality? What energizes me?

What have I always wanted to do? Who have I always wanted to be? What if, just for right now, just as an experiment, I met life with a courageously open heart?

The New Moon, because it is in such an early degree of Leo, trines Chiron in Pisces and squares Uranus in Aries. Chiron brings in a beautiful ability to heal our Self-expression and masculine energies.

Ask yourself: How might I help the collective healing of the world with my actions and my courageous heart? How might that help my own healing?

So, that’s Chiron’s contribution to this aspect -- now let's talk about Uranus for a moment: This aspect invites us to stretch and grow when it comes to our individuation process. To bring this home, ask yourself these questions:

How unique do I allow myself to be? Where do I stop myself from passionately stepping into my unique self? Could I give myself permission to let my "freak flag" fly? What if I lived life without apologies?

Mercury aligns with the North Node in Leo and trines Saturn in Sagittarius: We are able now to bring maturity and responsibility to our communications and internal thought structures. We are ready to commit to our own happiness and to take a playful approach to life.

For the next two weeks, I invite you to pause occasionally and ask yourself these questions: What thoughts make me happy and communicate my maturity? How can I express my joy in a responsible way? How can I engage others in a joyful dialog that aligns with my inner truth?

To sum it all up: This New Moon invites us to reconnect to what lights us up, to what we love, and to how we want to express that in the world. This New Moon also wants us to experience joy that is supported by the framework of self-responsibility.

It also invites us to tap into our healthy masculine by acting from an authentic place and coming from the heart in every moment. What might it feel like to create, not for the sake of achievement or gain, but out of love, joy and fun? Feel free to watch my New Moon video for a fuller discussion on the subject (will be posted by Monday evening)

Do you have your Ascendant (or any personal planets) in one of the following placements: 0-3 degrees of Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, Scorpio, or 28-29 degrees of Cancer, Capricorn, Aries or Libra? Or do you have your Ascendant or Sun-sign in Leo or Cancer? This New Moon may feel stronger to you...

The New Moon is also the best time to set some powerful intentions for this month's Moon cycle. Intentions are best done soon after the New Moon becomes exact -- and definitely not during a Moon void of course phase. So this month, the best time to set intentions would be any time between 5:46am EDT Sunday morning (July 23rd) and Tuesday morning (July 25th) at 5:22am EDT -- New York-time.

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A head's up for next Monday (July 24th): the Moon remains in fun and attention-loving Leoall day(see Sunday early morning for details). Late morning, a Venus/Saturn opposition becomes exact at 10:54am EDT. We started to feel this aspect from Friday evening on; it will remain strong until the following Friday.

In the early afternoon, a harmonious Mercury/Uranus aspect becomes exact at 12:33pm EDT. We started to feel this aspect from last Friday evening on; it will remain strong until Wednesday.

Mid-afternoon, a somewhat challenging Mercury/Chiron aspect becomes exact at 3:20pm EDT. We started to feel this aspect from Sunday evening on; it will remain strong until Tuesday. And last but not least, Mercury enters its shadow phasewhen it reaches 28 degrees of Leo. More about all the details in next week’s forecast ;-)

One More Announcement:

Join me for my next FORECASTING FORUM, on the day of the Lunar Eclipse, August 7th, 2017 at 4pmPT/ 7pm ET/Midnight BST (London-time). Please note that we will be talking about the upcoming Eclipses, in particular the very powerful Solar Eclipse in Leo towards the end of August.

We will address these Eclipses in relationship to our own birth charts. If you want to know how all of this is going to impact you personally, join me live or sign up for the mp4-video presentation.

Here is a testimonials from one of our participants right after joining our most recent Forum:

"Last month was my first Forum with you and I so enjoyed it. I really like the personal look at each of our charts and having the ability to ask you questions and then getting to hear others questions and your answers. I also thoroughly enjoy your preview of the aspects for the next month. Thanks so much."-- Belinda T.